Knock-down display construction



Dec. 10, 19.63 J. G. DCwNlNG xNocx-nowN DISPLAY CONSTRUCTION 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 29. 1960 IN V EN TOR.

Ja/m -6. Dau/nin BY Dec. 10, 1963 J.`G. DowNlNG xNocK-Dowu DISPLAYCONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 t I I Filed Feb. 29, 1960 1-----:vary-rua'l.

IN V EN TOR.

Dec. 10, 1963 J. G. DowNlNG xNocx-nown DISPLAY CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb.29, 1960 3 Shegts-Sheet 3 INVENTOR..

lm Dow/z United States Patent 3,113,392 KN UCK-DOWN DISPLAY CNSTRUCTIN.lohn G. Downing, The Hennegan Co., 311 Genesee St., Cincinnati, OhioFiled Feb. 29, 1950, Sei'. No. 11,567 10 Claims. (Cl. l0- 125) Thepresent invention relates to improvements in knock-down displaystructures and is particularly directed to portable advertising devicesto be set up as background displays at conventions, shows, exhibits,`and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a sectionalized backgrounddevice susceptible of being printed, embossed and die-cut in its severalparts and which, upon assembly, presents an impressive and attractivedisplay.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light weight, compactand a readily assembled knock-down display device that is made entirelyfrom foldable sections each produced at a relatively low cost and whichin assembled condition provides a strong structure that has goodstability.

A further object of the invention is lto provide detachable bracing anddetachable connectors which co-operate to produce effective connectionsbetween the several foldable sections of a structure having theforegoing characteristics.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference numerals indicate similar partsthroughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the front of my knockdown display inassembled, set up condition.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear of the display shown in FIG. l.

LFIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmental section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmental section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. l.

FIG. 5 is a fragmental, perspective view showing the manner in which thesectionalized end posts of my display device are assembled.

FIG. 6 is a fragmental, perspective View illustrating the relativedispositions of aligned holes in two parts of my device preparatory toreceiving the connecting hooks or braces.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational View of one of the connecting hooks forsecuring the parts of my display together.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of one of the braces for my displaydevice.

|FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the :front of a modiiied form of myknock-down display in assembled, set up condition.

FIG. l() is an enlarged, fragmental section taken on line 1li-10 of FIG.9.

FIG. ll is a section, like lFIG. l0, of another modiiication of myknock-down display.

With particular reference to FIGS. l and 2 of the drawings one form 1t!of my portable, knock-down display device is shown in assembled, set upcondition to provide a background display at sales meetings,conventions, eX- hibits, or the like. The display device 10 comprisesupstanding, laterally spaced apart, tubular side posts 11 and 12 whichby reason of their expanded, form retaining shapes stabilize the displayand support between them a sectionalized display portion 13 adapted topresent an ornamental and attractive forward face that may be suitablyprinted and embossed as at 130, and used in some cases to supportdesirable advertising indicia 131. The display stabilizing posts 11 and12 are identical in con- Mice struction and each preferably comprises anupper tubular portion 14 and a lower tubular portion. 15 disposed inend-to-end abutment when in yassembled condition. As best shown in FIG.5 the upper and lower post portions are separably secured together inabuting relationship by .gussets 16 and 17 fastened as by rivets 18 tothe inside faces of opposed walls for the lower post portion 15 andprojecting upwardly therefrom for sliding engagement with the insideffaces of the corresponding fwalls of the upper post portion 14.

Each of the post portions 14 and 15 is preferably constructed from arectangular piece of plastic, laminated paper board and is erectedtherefrom by forming a number of parallel crease lines in the body ofthe piece and folding the body on said crease lines to provide a tubularform in section. As will be readily apparent by reference to FIG. 3 ofthe drawing, this construction will provide inner and outer side panels19 and 20 respectively, for each post portion which are integrallyconnected by a front panel 21, the side panels 19 and 2li* havingoverlapping rear panels 22 and 23, respectively, integrally connectedthereto. The rear panels are separably secured together by vertical rowsZ4 of aligned holes formed therethrough which receive S-shaped separableconnectors 2S, as will be described in detail hereafter.

The sectionalized display portion 13 of my display device comprises aside-by-side series of upstanding foldable panels 26 all constructedfrom rectangular pieces of plastic, laminated paper board and each panel26 having a laterally extending hinge portion 27 located intermediateits upper and lower ends to provide an upper panel portion 2S and alower panel portion 29 that are foldable upon each other around thehinge 27 so that the panel 26 may be packaged dat in a small containerfor purposes of storage and transportation. As illustrated in VFIG. 4the hinge portion 27 is preferably formed in each upstanding panel 26 byproviding hinging anges 3l) and 31 on the adjacent inner ends of thepanel portions 28 and 29, respectively, which in set up conditionproject rearwardly, and are permanently fastened together by rivets 32,or the like.

The upper and lower portions 28 and 29 of the upstanding panels 26 areall provided with connective side flanges 33 which, in erectedpositions, are foldable rearwardly at right angles to the panel portionsand are disposed, as best shown in FIG. 2, so that proximate connectiveflanges on adjacent panels 26 `are i-n .face-to-face contact with eachother. It will also be noted with particular reference to FIG. 3 thatthe sidemost flanges 33 of the sectionalized panel 13 are in ace-to-faceengagement with the inner walls 19-19 of the stabilizing side posts 11land 12 to provide a sectionalized panel that is adapted Vfor connectionto and be held upright by the said side posts.

The means for separably securing together in assembled condition all ofthe parts of my display comprise the S-shaped connectors 25 (FIG. 7) andelongated connecting braces 35 (FIG. 8) which co-operate With certainaligned holes in the several parts in the manner to be now described. InFIG. 6 by way of example there is depicted a pair of aligned andco-operating diamond shaped holes 36--36 one each formed in theoverlapping flanges 22 and 23 of a side post portion 14. Thus in set upoperative position the lowermost corners of aligned holes 36-36 in theface-to-face flanges 22 and 23, respectively, are in registry forinsertion of the S-shaped connector 25 therein. As best shown in FIG. 7the S-shaped connector 25 has a hook portion 38 that may serve as ahandle for the connector whilst the opposed hook portion 39 on theconnector is entered rst into and through the aligned diamond shapedholes 36-36, the hook portion 38 being thereafter pulled downwardly inorder that the opposed legs of the hook portion 39 will firmly press andhold together the body portions of the flanges 22 and 23 below saidcorners. In like manner all aligned, communicating holes 36-36 inadjacent ilanges for the display are separably held together by theS-shaped connectors 25.

As indicated in FIG. 4 the inside walls 19 of the side posts 11 and 12are provided with rows 40 of vertically spaced apart diamond shapedholes 36 and the outermost connective anges 33 on all of the outsideupstanding panels 33 are provided with rows 41 of vertically spacedapart diamond shaped holes 36 which are in lateral alignment with theholes 36 in the posts. S-shaped connectors 25 are entered throughaligned and communicating holes in the sidemost flanges 33 and in theposts to secure the set up, sectionalized display portion to the posts.

Connectors 25 are omitted from certain laterally aligned holes in theilanges and the side posts for the reception of clamp portions on theelongated braces 35. This is accomplished by forming spaced apart hookportions 42 in the braces (FIG. 8) and as indicated in FIG. 3 the hookportions 42 engaged through aligned, communicating, diamond shaped holes36-36 in proximate anges and in the flanges and side posts to secure theflanges together and to secure and hold the sidemost flanges to the sideposts thereby rigidifying and strengthening the display assembly.

Now with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawing which illustrate amodied form of my invention the sectionalized display portion 13 isdisposed between and supported by posts 43 and 44 that in expanded, setup condition have form retaining shapes which stabilize the display. Thedisplay stabilizing posts are identical in structure and each have acentral, upstanding panel 45 and panels 46 and 47 hinged on oppositesides of the central panel; the inner side of the panel 47 beingprovided with a flange 48 (FIG. l0) folded rearwardly and also providedwith a vertical row of the diamond shaped holes 36 which communicatewith aligned diamond shaped holes 36 in the side most connective flanges33 in the sectionalized display portion 13 to receive the separableconnectors 25 and the braces 35 in the manner described with respect tothe display illustrated in FIGS. 1-8 of the drawings.

The side posts 43 and 44 retain their set up forms shown in the drawingby reason of shelves 49 which have downwardly facing hooks 60, 61 and 62projecting therefrom that are respectively entered in suitable holesformed in the panels 46, 45 and 47, respectively. The posts 43 and 44therefore stand firmly upon a iloor and are secured in form retainingcondition by the shelves 49, whilst the sectionalized portion 13 isbraced and secured to the posts by the braces 35 and the separablefasteners 25. The forward face of the sectionalized portion 13 may besuitably ornamented and the shelves 49 may be used to support anddisplay commercial products, and the like.

In FIG. 1l there is shown a further modification of my display devicewherein upstanding posts Sti and 51 are adapted to stand firmly upon aoor and are connected to a sectionalized display portion 13 to providestability and support for the portion. Each post t) and 51 has aconfronting panel 52 which is hinged to a front panel 53, said panel 53having a rearwardly projecting side flange 54 on its outer side. Theconfronting panel is connected to the sectionalized portion 13 of thedisplay by the braces 35 and the separable connectors 25 and the bodiesof the set up posts 5t) and 51 are rigiditied by braces 55 provided withend hooks 56 and 57, the hook 56 being in registered holes in thesidemost connective flanges 33 of the sectionalized portion 13 and theconfronting panel 52 WhilstV the hook 57 on the brace 55 is entered in ahole formed in the side flange 54 on the post. i

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the structuremay be readily assembled to provide an n i ornamental and strongbackground display unit and it may be as readily disassembled and packedflatwise in a rectangular box that can be manually transported andstored in a very small space.

Having thus described my display device, what I claim 1. In a knock-downdisplay device an upstanding, form retaining side post adapted to standrmly upon a iioor and having an upstanding, flat wall portion at oneside thereof, a display portion positioned beside the post and havingupstanding connective side anges foldable rearwardly from the displayportion, one of said side anges being disposed in face-to-face contactwith the ilat wall portion of the post, separable connectors securingtogether the one flange and the flat Wall portion, and laterallyextending separable braces securing the flanges to each other and to theflat wall portion of the side post.

2. In a knock-down display device an upstanding, form retaining sidepost adapted to stand firmly upon a floor and having an upstanding, ilatwall portion at one side thereof, a row of spaced apart holes formed insaid wall portion, a display portion positioned beside the post andhaving upstanding connective side iianges foldable rearwardly from thedisplay portion, one of said flanges being disposed in face-to-facecontact with the flat wall portion of the post, a row of spaced apartholes formed in each of the flanges, the holes in the several rows beingin lateral alignment, separable connectors co-operable with registeredholes in the one said flange and the at wall portion, and laterallyextending separable braces co-operable with laterally aligned holes inthe anges and the flat wall portion for connecting the flanges togetherand securing the ilanges to said fiat wail portion of the post.

3. In a knock-down display device a pair of upstanding, laterally spacedapart, stabilizing side posts each having a confronting flat wallportion, a sectionalized display portion located between and secured tothe side posts to present a front display face, said display portioncomprising a side-by-side series of upstanding panels each panel havingupstanding connective side anges foldable rearwardly from each panelbody, the proximate anges on adjacent panels being disposed inface-to-face contact with each other, the sidemost flanges being inface-to-face contact with the confronting iiat wall portion on the sideposts, separable connectors securing together the proximate iianges ofadjacent panels and securing the sidemost flanges of the sectionalizeddisplay portion to the side posts, and laterally extending separablebraces securing the flanges to each other and to the side posts.

4. In a knock-down display device a pair of upstanding, laterally spacedapart, stabilizing side posts having a row of vertically spaced apartholes formed in confronting walls of said posts, a sectionalized displayportion located between the side posts presenting an ornamental frontface and comprising a side-by-side series of upstanding panels, eachpanel having upstanding connective side flanges foldable rearwardly fromthe respective panel body, the proximate anges on adjacent panels beingdisposed in face-to-face contact with each other and at right angles tothe panels, and the sidemost flanges of the display portion being inface-to-face contact with the confronting walls of the side posts, eachof said flanges having a vertically spaced apart row of holes formedtherethrough, the holes in the several ilanges being in lateralalignment with the rows of holes in the side posts, separable connectorsengaged through a plurality of communicating, registered holes to securethe proximate flanges together and to secure the sidemost flanges of thesectionalized display portion to the side panels, and laterallyextending, separable braces engaged through aligned communicating holesand having side and intermediate connector portions for securing theanges to each other and to the side posts.

5. In a knock-down display device as set forth in claim 4 characterizedby the fact that the separable connectors are S-shaped hooks wherein oneof the hook portions of each connector is a handle whilst the other hookportion is entered in communicating holes in adjacent flanges andthrough the holes in the sidemost flanges and the side posts.

6. In a knock-down display device as set forth in claim furthercharacterized by the fact that the separable braces have laterallyspaced apart hook portions engaged in communicating holes to secure theflanges to each other and to the side posts.

7. In a knock-down display device as set forth in claim 6 still furthercharacterized by the fact that all the holes are diamond shaped and thehook portions on the separable fasteners and braces are engaged in thelowermost registered corners of communicating holes.

8. In a knock-down display device a pair of upstanding, laterally spacedapart, stabilizing side posts each having a row of vertically spacedapart holes formed in confronting walls of said posts, a sectionalizeddisplay portion located between the side posts presenting an ornamentalfront face and comprising a side-by-side series of upstanding panels,each panel having a laterally extending hinge portion intermediate itsupper and lower portions and upstanding connective side flanges foldablerearwardly from the panel body, the proximate anges on adjacent panelsbeing disposed in face-to-face contact with each other at right anglesto the panels and the sidemost anges of the display portion being inface-to-face contact with the confronting walls of the side posts, eachof said anges having a vertically spaced apart row of holes formedtherethrough, the holes in the several anges being in lateral alignmentwith the rows of holes in the side posts, separable connectors engagedthrough a plurality of communicating holes to secure the flangestogether and to secure the sidemost anges to the side panels, andlaterally extending, separable braces engaged through alignedcommunicating holes and having side and intermediate connector portionsfor securing the anges to each other and to the side posts.

9. In a knock-down display device a pair of upstanding, laterally spacedapart, tubular side posts each erected from flat stock and each having anumber of parallel crease lines therein and foldable thereon to provideinner and outer side panels interconnected by a front panel andoverlapped rear panels, separable means for securing together theoverlapped rear panels, a row of vertically spaced apart holes formedthrough the inner side panels of the posts, a sectionalized displayportion located between the side posts to present a planar front faceand comprising a side-by-side series of upstanding panels each having alaterally extending hinge portion intermediate its upper and lowerportions to permit the upper panel portion to fold upon the lower panelportion, connective side iianges foldable rearwardly from the bodies ofthe upper and lower panel portions of each panel, the proximate flangeson adjacent panel portions being in face-to-face contact with each otherat right angles to the panels and the sidemost anges of thesectionalized portion being in face contact with the inner side panelsof the posts, each of said flanges having a vertically spaced apart rowof holes therethrough, the holes in the several rows being in lateralalignment with the holes in the inner side panels of the posts,separable S-shaped connectors engaged through a plurality ofcommunicating holes in the anges and the sidemost flanges and the innerside panels of the posts, and laterally extending separable braceshaving spaced hook portions engaged through aligned communicating holesfor securing the flanges together and securing the flanges to the innerside panels of the posts.

10. In a knock-down display device as set forth in claim 9 characterizedby the fact that each of the side posts have upper and lower portionsthat are disposed in upstanding abutting relation and are separablysecured together by gussets fastened to opposed insidie walls of onepost portion and have sliding engagement with the inside faces of thecorresponding walls of the other post portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,486,695 Singer Mar. 11, 1924 2,307,992 Calhoun et al. Ian. 12, 19432,307,993 Calhoun et al. I an. 12, 1943 2,663,104 Hoagland Dec. 22, 19532,737,742 Leigh Mar. 13, 1956 2,815,862 Einhorn Dec. 10, 1957 2,871,619Walters Feb. 3, 1959 2,914,972 Goodrich Dec. 1, 1959 2,918,178 LeoneDec. 22, 1959 2,944,678 Grantham July 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 551,760Italy Nov. 23, 1956 883,116 Germany July 16, 1953

1. IN A KNOCK-DOWN DISPLAY DEVICE AN UPSTANDING, FORM RETAINING SIDEPOST ADAPTED TO STAND FIRMLY UPON A FLOOR AND HAVING AN UPSTANDING, FLATWALL PORTION AT ONE SIDE THEREOF, A DISPLAY PORTION POSITIONED BESIDETHE POST AND HAVING UPSTANDING CONNECTIVE SIDE FLANGES FOLDABLEREARWARDLY FROM THE DISPLAY PORTION, ONE OF SAID SIDE FLANGES BEINGDISPOSED IN FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT WITH THE FLAT WALL PORTION OF THE POST,SEPARABLE CONNECTORS SECURING TOGETHER THE ONE FLANGE AND THE FLAT WALLPORTION, AND LATERALLY EXTENDING SEPARABLE BRACES SECURING THE FLANGESTO EACH OTHER AND TO THE FLAT WALL PORTION OF THE SIDE POST.